NEWS: Ocean Film Festival @ Playhouse, Whitley Bay

Experience the wonders of the sea without leaving dry land

By NARC.
on Monday, September 21st, 2015

For centuries, the deep blue has fascinated everyone from explorers to thrill seekers and remains one of the most mysterious entities on Earth. No one really quite knows how diverse life in the sea really is and what lies at the furthest depths (though James Cameron had a fairly good go at trying to find out). Some of us just don’t want to get our feet wet though. For us, a day at the beach is best spent without having to dip your toes in the water (and that’s especially true for the, shall we say, bracing nature of the North Sea).

For those of us who’d rather explore the wonders of the ocean while remaining pretty dry, there’s the Ocean Film Festival, a celebration of all things aquatic on celluloid. Originating in Australia, the festival goes on tour to bring some of its best short films to towns and cities across the world and our own seaside gem of Whitley Bay is getting in on the action. The Playhouse will play host to an evening of undersea delights that combines beautiful cinematography and epic shots of the ocean with often heart-rending tales. Highlights of this year’s events include Devocean, the story of a disabled South African man who embraces the restorative power of the water. Oceanminded follows champion freediver Hanli Prinsloo as she goes on a journey to come face to face with the wildlife off the coast of South Africa and Mozambique. Meanwhile, at the quirkier end of the spectrum, A Small Surfer follows Quincy Symonds, perhaps one of the youngest boarders in the world at just six years old.

It’s set to be a cinematic delight that will delight both silver screen junkies and those fascinated by what’s found under the sea.